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On October 5, 41 high school students from 6 urban and rural Manitoba attended a special program at FortWhyte to learn about the waters that surround us, and some of the current threats and solutions for better water quality.

Students became citizen scientists for the day, using water sampling equipment and chemistry tests to learn more about measuring the health of an aquatic ecosystem. They got muddy and wet using a water jet planter to restore a section of shoreline on our lakes with "nature's rebar," also known as willow. They collected aquatic insects, learned about fish research, and discussed how water issues in northern Manitoba are impacting water, ecosystems and people.

Thank you to the presenters for sharing their knowledge and inspiring Grades 9-12 students to understand more about water protection, and giving them a great hands-on learning experience:

Deanna Jade Hill is the 2017 recipient of the Fillmore Riley Internship. As a student at Oak Park High School, she dreams of one day living in St. John’s with a stable job and a lively household. Her life has been positively impacted by her time at the FortWhyte Farms, as she believes that “the most rewarding thing about having a job is creating relationships and learning more skills. It can really push you further in life and help you be more successful.” Deanna is an indigenous youth who hopes to change the world by contributing to world peace.

Sponsoring an under-served youth like Deanna is a natural extension of Fillmore Riley’s commitment to giving back to the community. As a law firm, they believe that they have a social responsibility to support programs and initiatives that better our community. They have a longstanding tradition of contributing to the United Way, CancerCare Manitoba, Ducks Unlimited, and many other organizations that make Manitoba a better place to work and live. The initiative at FortWhyte appealed to them because it is an agriculture-based social enterprise that educates youth. Environmental sustainability and empowerment through education align with their firm’s culture.

“We’re proud to support a program that teaches youth about sustainable agriculture, animal husbandry, production and food handling skills. We have a large agriculture and agribusiness practice, and some the graduates of the program may go on to work for our clients or start their own agribusinesses,” said Jody Langhan, a partner of Fillmore Riley LLP and Member of Fort Whyte Foundation Inc.’s Board of Trustees. “It is our first year as a sponsor and we’re pleased to learn that our sponsorship has given the intern the hands-on skills and work ethic she needs to help her be successful in future endeavors.”

FortWhyte Farms is very appreciative of the support provided by Fillmore Riley to help empower the youth who work with us. Together we will contribute to making Winnipeg a more healthy and socially-just community.

At FortWhyte Alive, we are dedicated to connecting humans with nature and encouraging actions leading to sustainable living -- and it’s no secret that our success in accomplishing this mission depends on a great deal of support from the community.

We are pleased to recognize CN for their contribution to FortWhyte Alive and to communities across Canada. CN has been supporting FortWhyte Alive for many years, most recently as a key supporter of our award-winning Education for Sustainable Development programs.

For decades, FortWhyte Alive has worked hard to foster and strengthen a personal commitment to sustainability in today’s children and youth. Our roster of over 40 outdoor environmental education programs incorporates key themes of sustainable development -- such as poverty alleviation, human rights, health, environmental stewardship, climate change, and biodiversity -- into outdoor education experiences for K-12 students. The goal of these programs is to equip students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to become our future leaders in sustainability.

Over 30,000 students from 250+ schools across Manitoba participate in outdoor environmental education programs at FortWhyte Alive each year. What many don’t know is that we offer all of our programs to schools across Manitoba at below cost as a way of maintaining affordability for students and their families. For this reason, we rely on support from the community to subsidize a portion of program delivery costs. That’s where community partners like CN come in.

Education for Sustainable Development at FortWhyte Alive aligns with CN’s community priorities, as CN is committed to safety, environmental sustainability, and taking measurable steps to reduce its own impact on the environment.

“For CN, a sustainable future means trying to think and act in the interest of future generations. This means constantly working to reduce our impact on the environment. Nothing less will do. That’s why we believe that the hands-on learning that youth enjoy at FortWhyte Alive is a perfect fit for us. By introducing young people to these concepts now, we are laying a foundation for building stronger, safer communities.”

Gillam Adventure
Nelson River Adventures Air-Boat Adventure for two, round-trip airfare to Gillam via Calm Air, two night stay for two at the Aurora Inn.Rules/restrictions: must be used in summer 2017 (June-August), accommodations must be booked 3-4 weeks in advance, winner should book by June 15, 2017.
Retail value: $1,510.00Winner: Rochelle Pincovich (Ticket #07935)

Asessippi PackageIncludes two adult and two youth one-day lift passes, one-day rentals for two adults, two youth, overnight suite stay at the Russell Inn, $10 pizza hut express voucher.Rules/restrictions: must be booked in advance, based on room availability. Not available during Christmas break or February break.Retail value: $525.97Winner: Christel Lanthier (Ticket #05488)

Mantario Summer Week with Nature ManitobaFive-day adventure in the wilderness of Whiteshell Provincial Park. Canoe seven lakes, and six portages with the Mantario Cabin as your destination. The cabin is located in a boreal forest on Mantario Lake. Themes vary from week to week but may include the garden of boreas, living of the land, yoga, canoeing, fishing and astronomy. Our thanks to Nature Manitoba for donating this prize!Rules/restrictions: non-transferable, redeemable any week in July or August 2017.Retail value: $415.00Winner: Liliane Jègues (Ticket #05160)

Explore Winnipeg #1 PackageEnjoy and explore all that Winnipeg has to offer with the Winnipeg Summer Pass. These passes give you admission into 20 popular Winnipeg activities such as the Winnipeg Railway Museum, Oak Hammock Marsh, Thunder Rapids and many more!Rules/restrictions: non-transferable, must be used during summer 2017 season.Retail value: $275.00Winner: Spencer Mattey (Ticket #08369)

Explore Winnipeg #2 packageEnjoy and explore all that Winnipeg has to offer with the Winnipeg Summer Pass. These passes give you admission into 20 popular Winnipeg activities such as the Winnipeg Railway Museum, Oak Hammock Marsh, Thunder Rapids and many more!Rules/restrictions: non-transferable, must be used during summer 2017 season.
Retail value: $275.00Winner: Erin McNamara (Ticket #30803)

Art PackageIncludes a certificate for 50% off an art class at the Art Gallery Of Southwestern Manitoba, four admission passes to the Winnipeg Art Gallery and one Karel Funk art book.Retail value: $184.00Winner: Jennifer Sych (Ticket #07116)

Pamper and Dine PackageIncludes two 90-minute Jellyfish Floats at the Jellyfish Float Spa, and one West End Biz Restaurant Tour CertificateRules/restrictions: Tour must be booked at least two days in advanceRetail value: $180.00Winner: Anne Edwardsson (Ticket #07309)

Morden PackageTwo admission passes to the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre and a one-night stay at Bella’s Castle.Rules/restrictions: one-night stay must be booked in advance and redeemed on or before August 31, 2017.Retail value: $166.00Winner: Jackie Gergatz (Ticket #21767)

Children's Museum PackageThis package has it all! Enjoy a Children's Museum family pass, $10 gift shop gift card on top of a variety of fun goodies that children will love!Rules/restrictions: Family pass redeemable until July 26, 2016.Retail value: $150.00Winner: Jolie-Anne Horn (Ticket #07394)

Two Tickets to the Opening Night Performance of “The Million Dollar Quartet” at the Royal Manitoba Theatre CentreRules/restrictions: non-transferable, tickets must be used on January 5, 2017.Retail value: $135.00Winner: George & Annette Bell (Ticket #10991)

City of Winnipeg Tour Passes for TwoRules/restrictions: must be redeemed in 2017Retail value: $60.00Winner: Sue-Anne Hamilton (Ticket #00441)

Dalnavert Museum PackageReceive a full tour of Dalnavert for up to five people. Your tour includes entrance into the Sir John A. McDonald exhibit, as well as a tour of the gardens.Retail Value: $55.00Winner: Vern Wasivta (Ticket #03226)

FortWhyte Alive Bison Safari Vouchers for TwoClimb aboard and go beyond the gates, deep into our bison prairie to experience your first up-close encounter with a herd of grunting, munching bison. These striking animals are stoic, hairy and huge. But don’t take our word for it -- you’ve got to see it to believe it. This rare opportunity to get acquainted with these iconic prairie giants is not only wildly entertaining, but also an adventure that will leave you knowing more about how these magnificent beasts have shaped the history of the prairies.Rules/restrictions: must be booked in advance. Please check FortWhyte Alive’s calendar of events to determine 2017 dates.
Retail value: $30.00Winner: Paula Blair (Ticket #20146)

Exchange District Walking Passes for TwoJoin one of the Exchange District’s walking tours to learn about the district’s history, and enjoy all of the beautiful architecture that the exchange district has to offer.Rules/restrictions: none, tours run from May to August.Retail value: $20.00Winner: Cheryl Gorrell (Ticket #02965)

Thanks to all that participated and purchased tickets for this year's Adventure Travel Raffle! All winners will be contacted by 5 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2016. Learn more about the Adventure Travel Raffle here.

Whether it's the turkey, eggnog or binge-watching holiday movies, the holidays can often leave us feeling a little bit sluggish. The good news is that all you really have to do to get out of the slump is to simply get outside. An outdoor adventure, whether big or small, is the perfect way to spend some quality time with the family.

Here are five great options for getting your family outdoors this holiday season. Make it your new holiday tradition!

1. Drop in for some Frosty Family Fun

Drop in to FortWhyte Alive through the holiday season to get active outdoors with the whole family with our Frosty Family Fun series. Activities will take place from 12-2 pm, free with admission, and no need to pre-register.

2. New Year’s Eve (...outside)

A perfect way to start of a fun-filled New Year’s Eve is with some energy-burning outdoor play. Get to FortWhyte to spend some time tobogganing on our exhilarating Richardson Rrrrun, or adventure through our trails for a scavenger hunt and see how many winter wonders you can find with a fun Winter Scavenger Hunt.

3. New Year’s Day sleigh rides

Join us for the ultimate holiday tradition. Celebrate 2017 with a horse drawn sleigh ride through our snowy trails and enjoy a hot chocolate fireside.

4. Explore on snowshoe

This is a great activity for the whole family, any day of the week. Simply rent snowshoes ($3/pair) and set out on the trail, or explore FortWhyte Alive by snowshoe with a guide -- Snowshoe Club happens every Saturday starting in January.

5. Yoga for the whole family

Before you send everyone back to school, bring them out to FortWhyte Alive to spend a little time in nature and practice mindfulness. GROW Yoga is a fun yoga and mindfulness practice for little yogis aged 6-8, and 9-12 emphasizing kindness, gratitude and emotional awareness. For parents, we have the first Cabin Yoga session of 2017 happening on the same day!